1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cooking apparatus, and in particular, to apparatus having adjustable walls.
2. Description of Related Art
There is increased concern about cooking foods thoroughly to eliminate bacteria. At the same time, consumers are interested in reducing the fat content in the cooked food below the levels normally associated with frying.
An efficient and popular method of cooking food is immersion in a heated liquid. A familiar cooker is a deep fryer where foodstuff is placed in a wire basket and lowered into a pot of hot oil. Food can also be cooked in a crock pot, which is typically a ceramic pot heated will electrical heater elements.
When used properly, these devices can kill bacteria, but cannot be used readily for many food products. One difficulty with the foregoing cooking devices is that the food products are kept loose. Some food products such as hamburger patties cannot be easily cooked in quantity when loosely placed inside such a cooking device. For example, liquid turbulence may break up the patties.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,864 a number of horizontal, parallel plates are stacked together and slide on a number of posts. The plates are normally separated by springs but can be driven together by a cam lever to hold meat patties between the plates. Once secured, the patties can be immersed in a deep fry cooker. This reference does not allow a simple adjustment of the cooking space and will drive the plates against the food based on the force applied by the cam and spring.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,426 a number of parallel shelves are held together by a chain or other device. When hoisted, the shelves separate to admit cheese. When lowered, the shelves collapse to hold the cheese in place. This reference does not concern cooking and does not allow adjustment of the space between shelves. Instead the shelf to shelf spacing is always the same. See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,368.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,265,523 a hollow platform has a number of perforated dividers. Frozen food placed between the dividers can be defrosted by heating water that circulates through the dividers and past the frozen food. While vertical dividers are shown, the space between them is not adjustable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,027 shows a divider in the form of a grid that can be placed in a variety of positions inside a frying basket. While the size of compartments inside the basket can thus be adjusted, the reference does not disclose an assembly with a hinged floor member. See also U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,227.
See also U.S. Pat. Nos. 474,446; 3,282,460; 3,552,297; 4,287,818; 4,297,942; 4,548,130; and 5,216,947.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,472,448 and 4,851,241 show sauces for treating meat products. See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,466.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved cooking apparatus that can cook foodstuffs safely and efficiently in an adjustable cooking space.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiments demonstrating features and advantages of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for cooking foodstuffs. The apparatus has a pot and at least one support assembly adapted to rest atop the pot. The support assembly has a floor and a pair of walls. Each of the walls is dependently mounted from the support assembly. The walls are spaced apart an adjustable amount. The floor is hinged to and spans the pair of walls.
By employing apparatus of the foregoing type, improved equipment is achieved for thoroughly and efficiently cooking foodstuffs. In a preferred embodiment, one wall is affixed to a support assembly. Another, movable wall is suspended from a shaft whose outer ends slide in arcuate slots formed in blocks mounted on the support assembly. The bottom edges of these two walls are spanned by a floor that is hinged to the two walls. The hinging is such that as the walls move together or separate, they remain parallel, although the floor may change its angle of elevation.
In this preferred embodiment, the support assemblies may be inserted or removed from bays in a lid that rests atop a pot containing a cooking fluid, such as a water-based sauce. Preferably, the pot contains electrical heating coils that are regulated by a thermostat to maintain a desired cooking temperature.
The apparatus may be formed as a small home cooking unit or as a larger commercial unit with many cooking bays. In a top end commercial unit, each cooking assembly in each bay includes a timer for scheduling the cooking interval for each bay. This unit can include perches or shelves between the walls of the support assemblies to allow food products to be vertically stacked without placing the entire weight of the stack on the bottom product.
With the preferred apparatus, food products such as hamburger patties, do not lose their shape, because the opposing walls of the assembly are in contact with the entire surface of the product. This contact is especially effective for embodiments where the walls are formed as a grid, as opposed to solid material. Moreover, the preferred embodiment is designed to hold the food products at a continuously adjustable range of thicknesses. Also, the food products need not be turned, and because they are separated, they do not stick together. Additionally, efficiency is greatly enhanced since the food products can be loaded at the same time, so they are ready at the same time.